THE EFFECTS OF A 16-DAY COURSE ON IMPROVEMENT IN ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST SCORES

Abstract

Despite guidelines on the benefits of physical activity on improved quality of life and reduced levels of stress, an increasing number of adults do not meet the guidelines of at least 150-minutes of moderate physical activity per week. This may be a contributing factor relating to a growing population of military personnel who are unable to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). PURPOSE: With this challenge in mind, we aimed to determine how attitudes, motivation, and knowledge of general health and wellness influenced a soldier’s ability to successfully pass the APFT. METHODS: Thirty-six national guard reservist men and women (age = 27 ± 5 yrs; weight = 91.2 ± 17.4 kg; height=1.7 ± 0.1 m) attended a 16-day course on health, wellness, and physical training. During the course, subjects had their body composition assessed via bioelectrical impedance. The APFT was completed five times over the course of four months with the first test occurring at the beginning of the course. At the start of the course and the final APFT, participants completed three questionnaires (BLOCK Fat Dietary Screener, Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire, and a modified Sports Motivation Scale-II). RESULTS: Passing rate in the APFT increased from 8.3% at the first test to a 22.7% passing rate after four months with the 2-mile run having the highest failure rate of the three events (push-ups, sit-ups, 2-mile run). On average, subjects lost 2.6 ± 3.9 kg which was statistically significant (p < 0.05) and saw a mean reduction of 1.6 ± 2% body fat percentage. There was no change in BLOCK Fat Dietary scores (31.8 ± 11.4 vs. 31.2 ± 12.5, p > 0.05) or the Paffenbarger physical activity index (2,184 ± 1548 vs. 2890 ± 1938 kcal/week, p > 0.05). Intrinsic motivation significantly increased pre to post-testing (12.9 ± 3.4 vs 16.6 ± 4.6, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The educational course was successful in increasing the passing rate of the APFT. More importantly, an increase in intrinsic motivation suggests a greater interest in the variety of training methods included in the curriculum which would decrease the monotony of the training and encourage their improvement in the APFT. Future studies need to explore the challenges of improving the two-mile run.